It was a box I got in one of those Amazon 3 for 2 sales while it was only 55 Euro and I enjoyed it a great deal (still going back to the 60s recordings). Hank Drake has a superbly detailed review up on Amazon. The most recent Horowitz disc I listened was his first recording of the Barber Piano Sonata from the big Original Jacket box.

It was a box I got in one of those Amazon 3 for 2 sales while it was only 55 Euro and I enjoyed it a great deal (still going back to the 60s recordings). Hank Drake has a superbly detailed review up on Amazon. The most recent Horowitz disc I listened was his first recording of the Barber Piano Sonata from the big Original Jacket box.

It was a box I got in one of those Amazon 3 for 2 sales while it was only 55 Euro and I enjoyed it a great deal (still going back to the 60s recordings). Hank Drake has a superbly detailed review up on Amazon. The most recent Horowitz disc I listened was his first recording of the Barber Piano Sonata from the big Original Jacket box.

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It's been a while since I last listened to Hotowitz, he's not one of my favourites. Of that generation Rubinstein is more to my taste.

When Horowitz was on, he was untouchable. Even Rachmaninoff said that Horowitz played the Rach PC3 better than he did. Trouble is, Horowitz was often not on, and he recorded far past his peak. To enjoy his artistry, one really needs to pick and choose. Scarlatti, Clementi, Schumann and Rachmaninoff are composers he played incredibly well. Others, like Chopin, he was very mixed.

I have said this before, but Rubinstein's stereo recordings do little for me. I enjoy his earlier recordings, especially his earliest mono recordings. Back then he was still spontaneous, interesting. The numbered Rubinstein Collection CDs are chronological, so if one wants to hear the early mono recordings, one could sample volumes 1-21 or so.

I've been listening/comparing these two recordings for the past week. I might post something more detailed when I've formed a more solid conclusion, this is best left for a breakdown between each fugue. In general I would say Koroliov takes a slightly more punctuated approach and Nikolayeva is a bit more fluid. In short two absolutely amazing performances, I don't think I would want to be without either one because each have their own interpretation, while similar on some are different on others (ie Contrapunctus 5 Koroliov takes a more propulsive approach whereas Nikolayeva is gentler, but then it won't hold true for another fugue where Nikolayeva will play it with more intensity) the tempi are also different and another area where no generalization can be made. Both of them are radically different from Gould (not a condemnation on Gould I wouldn't want to be without his either and wished he recorded it all on piano), both allow for space between the voices but without ever feeling labored. Also Nikolayeva and Koroliov play them completely straight with no added improvisations, something I appreciate. A nice bonus is the recording quality is superb on both. Actually wish Nikolayeva recorded more Bach for Hyperion as these recordings sound better than the Russian labels, I don't really find her interpretations that different between studio recordings (more variance live), though this is from years of listening and not direct comparisons.

I've been listening/comparing these two recordings for the past week. I might post something more detailed when I've formed a more solid conclusion, this is best left for a breakdown between each fugue. In general I would say Koroliov takes a slightly more punctuated approach and Nikolayeva is a bit more fluid. In short two absolutely amazing performances, I don't think I would want to be without either one because each have their own interpretation, while similar on some are different on others (ie Contrapunctus 5 Koroliov takes a more propulsive approach whereas Nikolayeva is gentler, but then it won't hold true for another fugue where Nikolayeva will play it with more intensity) the tempi are also different and another area where no generalization can be made. Both of them are radically different from Gould (not a condemnation on Gould I wouldn't want to be without his either and wished he recorded it all on piano), both allow for space between the voices but without ever feeling labored. Also Nikolayeva and Koroliov play them completely straight with no added improvisations, something I appreciate. A nice bonus is the recording quality is superb on both. Actually wish Nikolayeva recorded more Bach for Hyperion as these recordings sound better than the Russian labels, I don't really find her interpretations that different between studio recordings (more variance live), though this is from years of listening and not direct comparisons.

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I have owned both recordings for a long time but have never gone after any in-depth analysis of each performance. IIRC, I preferred the performance of Nikolayeva over that of Koroliov ...

Is? Was, maybe, but on the whole I think history has not been especially kind to him. The consensus, I think, is that after languishig in the wilderness too long, he achieved too much fame before he was ready.

Wow, I crossed off a longstanding want list item with an unplayed copy of the very OOP Silverman Beethoven piano sonatas cycle on Orpheum Masters for $30 shipped.

Then, while looking for something else, I also grabbed a complete Beethoven symphony cycle by von Dohnanyi/Cleveland on Telarc for $10 shipped.

I still haven't listened through the Ashkenazy complete Beethoven piano sonatas set I received last week for $15 shipped. This is just crazy . . .

I think we're witnessing a perfect storm of estate sales coupled with the death of physical media, accelerated by competing online sales and sites. The bottom is just falling out for all but the rarest collectibles.